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USAID security officials on leave after refusing access to Musk allies
The Washington Post ^ | February 2, 2025 | John Hudson, Ellen Nakashima and Mariana Alfaro

Posted on 02/02/2025 11:31:05 AM PST by E. Pluribus Unum

The Trump administration has removed two top security officials at the U.S. Agency for International Development after they refused to let representatives of Elon Musk’s “Department of Government Efficiency” access restricted spaces at the agency, said current and former USAID officials.

The placement of the security officials — John Voorhees and his deputy — on administrative leave is the latest effort by the Trump administration and Musk to wrest control of the world’s largest provider of food assistance, which they have denigrated, without offering evidence, as left-wing and corrupt amid objections from Democratic and Republican lawmakers.

Amid the turmoil at the agency, Matt Hopson, the USAID chief of staff and a political appointee, resigned, according to a current and former USAID official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive situation. Hopson did not respond to requests for comment.

On Sunday, Musk repeatedly attacked USAID on X, calling the long-standing government agency “evil” and a “viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”

“USAID is a criminal organization,” he added. “Time for it to die.”

By Sunday afternoon, USAID’s X account had been taken down, with a message saying the account “doesn’t exist.”

President Donald Trump named Musk, the world’s richest man, as the head of DOGE, a new government office that was initially promised to comb through the whole federal bureaucracy searching for deep cuts. In the days since Trump took office, Musk has sought to exert sweeping control over the inner workings of the U.S. government, installing longtime surrogates at several agencies, including the Office of Personnel Management, which essentially handles federal human resources, and the General Services Administration, which manages real estate.

DOGE is now housed in a White House office formerly known as the U.S. Digital Service but now...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Breaking News; Crime/Corruption; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: corruption; fiduciarymalfeasance; fiduciarymisconduct; misappropriation; misconduct; usaid
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I wonder how many of these it’s gonna take before they realize that President Trump is the boss.


21 posted on 02/02/2025 12:50:47 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyranny is obedience to God.)
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To: takebackaustin

heeheehee!!! d’ey ain’t dah gawdz d’ey t’ot d’ey waz!!


22 posted on 02/02/2025 12:51:42 PM PST by Terry L Smith
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Hey, let the FBI do the investigation then. Remind everyone that lying to an FBI agent is a felony and a fairly seriously long jail term but termination from the federal government.

They had the chance to “play nice” with the new Administration and choose not to; now it becomes time to play hardball with this group and see exactly what they are trying to hide. I think sending FBI agents out with the DOGE crew might be a way to get the attention of other government agencies who want to slow walk or gas light DOGE.


23 posted on 02/02/2025 1:07:43 PM PST by Robert357
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

I trust Elon knows how to get rid of every bit of waste and every uncooperative employee, as well as working around any computer tricks employees are trying to get away with. Oh, and WAPO? They write this article as if there’s something wrong with cleaning up this mess; there’s not.


24 posted on 02/02/2025 1:09:13 PM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray without ceasing))
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Giv-WIxe-W0-AAf-Hp-T

We need to aid Ukraine, they said

Russia is bad, they said.

Anyone questioning Ukraine corruption or links to corrupt US democrats is a Putin puppet, they said

Trump is a Russian spy, they said

Hunter Biden's laptop is Russian disinformation, they said.

25 posted on 02/02/2025 1:11:55 PM PST by PGR88
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To: TxAg1981; Secret Agent Man

Actually not correct. It has not yet been rolled into the State Department. It probably will be soon enough.

But for the past 63 years or so it has been an independent agency.


26 posted on 02/02/2025 1:12:48 PM PST by Bartholomew Roberts
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To: Noumenon

“...wrest control of the world’s largest provider of food assistance, which they have denigrated, without offering evidence, as left-wing and corrupt...”

Three authors is almost a guarantee of this kinda tripe being offered up.


27 posted on 02/02/2025 1:27:35 PM PST by traderrob6
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To: Bartholomew Roberts

It was seized by leftist crazies—and stopped being “independent” a while ago....

:-)


28 posted on 02/02/2025 1:32:19 PM PST by cgbg (It is time to pull the Deep State out of the mass media--like ticks from a dog.)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

which they have denigrated, without offering evidence,

Something like 51 Intel Officials , WaPo ??!

Similar to Russia Russia Russia, WaPo ?

Similar to Pedo Joe Biden is sharp as a tack , WaPo ?


29 posted on 02/02/2025 1:35:18 PM PST by OldHarbor
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To: Noumenon
DEI helicopter rides for all of them.

Preferably over the Gulf of America.

30 posted on 02/02/2025 1:38:08 PM PST by Buttons12 ( )
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To: OldHarbor

“...without offering evidence, as left-wing and corrupt.” My experience with USAID is that it has been ultra left-wing for decades. I personally have noted corruption in USAID contractors, but USAID personnel corruption must be proven.


31 posted on 02/02/2025 1:42:58 PM PST by Bookshelf
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To: OldHarbor

“...without offering evidence, as left-wing and corrupt.” My experience with USAID is that it has been ultra left-wing for decades. I personally have noted corruption in USAID contractors, but USAID personnel corruption must be proven.


32 posted on 02/02/2025 1:43:20 PM PST by Bookshelf
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To: Bartholomew Roberts

The 1998 Foreign Affairs Reform and Restructuring Act established USAID as its own agency within the executive branch.

So thats what I was affirming. Its under executive branch control.


33 posted on 02/02/2025 1:57:24 PM PST by Secret Agent Man (Gone Galt; not averse to Going Bronson.)
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To: Skywise

You don’t want everyone having access to foreign dictators’ Swiss bank accounts direct deposit information.


34 posted on 02/02/2025 1:58:04 PM PST by KarlInOhio (“Forget it, Jake. It's California.”)
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To: Army Air Corps

Why ruin Midway?


35 posted on 02/02/2025 2:03:05 PM PST by maddog55 (The only thing systemic in America is the left's hatred of it!)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum
Has Musk been given an official position and power? Although not the same because Hunter is a complete scumbag, but imagine if Hunter Biden started demanding access to government offices. The proper response would have been "Who the F are you? You're not in my chain of command, you're not part of an inspector general's office with power to investigate me and you're not law enforcement. Go away!"

As far as I know, Musk is just a friend of the president when it comes to official duties and power.

36 posted on 02/02/2025 2:04:34 PM PST by KarlInOhio (“Forget it, Jake. It's California.”)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

USAID is not an aid agency. It is the money conduit of the State Department. It is also the subtle whip to that carrot.


37 posted on 02/02/2025 2:15:28 PM PST by KC Burke
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To: bill andersen
If they can’t be fired outright, they need to be assigned to the new USAID office in Shemya, Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

Ha! The Aleutian Islands will be a crowded place. 20 percent of the US government is moving there.

38 posted on 02/02/2025 2:17:43 PM PST by Right_Wing_Madman
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To: Right_Wing_Madman

If they can’t be fired outright, they need to be assigned to the new USAID office in Shemya, Aleutian Islands, Alaska.

Ha! The Aleutian Islands will be a crowded place. 20 percent of the US government is moving there.

*****************************************************

Had orders for Shemya once upon a time. That got cancelled and they sent me to Germany instead. Good Trade.


39 posted on 02/02/2025 2:28:37 PM PST by dagunk (-- Unknown)
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

“viper’s nest of radical-left marxists who hate America.”

Musk has nailed this one

However, he failed to mention they are all criminals. All of them.


40 posted on 02/02/2025 3:35:41 PM PST by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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